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For armchair and actual travelers who would like to learn more about the Dordogne, the following list is a beginning: Bentley, James. The Most Beautiful Villages of the Dordogne. Photography by Hugh Palmer. London: Thames and Hudson , 1996. This gorgeous coffee-table book devotes four to six pages of color illustrations to each of thirty-eight villages, arranged by the classic geographical divisions of Périgord Vert, Blanc, Noir, and Pourpre. Castelnaud appears on the back cover of the jacket (with our house clearly visible). Brook, Stephen. The Dordogne. Photography by Charlie Waite. Topsfield, Mass.: Salem House, 1987. f o r f u r t h e r r e a d i n g Arranged as an introduction to the region, this volume ranges beyond the northern and eastern borders of the Department to territory that both locals and tourists regard as “of the Dordogne,” such as the Causse. The text provides guidance for an intelligent tour. Busselle, Michael, and Freda White. Three Rivers of France. New York: Arcade, 1989. Originally published in 1952, Freda White’s elegantly written book on the regions of the Dordogne, the Lot, and the Tarn remains a classic of travel writing. The new edition, updated by Michael Busselle and including photographs of the scenes described by White, is still the richest guide to the region. Caro, Ina. The Road from the Past: Traveling through History in France. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994. Caro guides the reader on a tour of France organized by history rather than geography. The chapters on the Dordogne and the Hundred Years War are particularly good and include a description of Castelnaud’s role in medieval warfare. Jones, Vicky. Dordogne Gastronomique. Photography by Hamish Park. London: Conran Octopus, 1994. This tribute to the cuisine of the Dordogne focuses on regional ingredients and their sources, as well as on traditional recipes and the restaurants that have perfected them. Michelin. Tourist Guide: Dordogne. Paris: Michelin et Cie, published annually. Whether you read your “green guide” in French or in English , and whether it’s titled “Dordogne (PérigordLimousin )” or “Périgord/Quercy” (the focus changes in different editions), you’ll be getting reliable guidance on 3 0 6 f o r f u r t h e r r e a d i n g motoring routes, site visits, history, and attractions. Thorough , if a bit stiff. O’Shea, Stephen. The Perfect Heresy: The Revolutionary Life and Death of the Medieval Cathars. New York: Walker, 2000. If you want to know more about the Cathars, this book provides a short, readable history of the sect and the crusades mounted against its members by the Church in the thirteenth century. Rose, Phyllis. Jazz Cleopatra: Josephine Baker in Her Time. New York: Doubleday, 1989. Rose presents a sympathetic biography of Josephine Baker, covering her years at les Milandes; the book includes photographs . Sieveking, Ann. The Cave Artists. London: Thames and Hudson , 1979. Readers will find this a good introduction to the prehistoric cave paintings of the Dordogne. The author summarizes a number of theories concerning the paintings’ origins. Illustrated . Toussaint, Jean-Luc. The Walnut Cookbook. Trans. and eds. Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden. Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press, 1998. Originally published as La Noix dans tous ses états:131 Recettes Gourmands (Castelnaud-laChapelle , France: L’Hydre, 1994). Both a recipe book and a compilation of lore about walnuts in Périgord, this is the volume we describe in chapter 13. And here, to conclude, is one of its recipes (reprinted with the kind permission of the publisher): 3 0 7 f o r f u r t h e r r e a d i n g Cake aux Pruneaux et aux Noix Walnut-Prune Cake (Serves 6 to 8) 9 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cups sugar 5 eggs 2/3 cup finely ground almonds Scant 2/3 cup sifted flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons Cognac (or other brandy) 1 cup walnut pieces 1 cup pitted prunes 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour sides and bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan. 2. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter. Add the sugar, and beat until creamy. Add the eggs one by one, beating continually. Add the powdered almonds . Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter, beating until smooth. Finally, fold in the brandy. 3. In a food processor, finely chop the walnuts. Cut the pitted prunes...

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